The wicked mother-in-law doesn't try to whitewash herself; she only abuses her awful children.

Chapter 81 Lotus Crispy

Tong Huaqiong and Gu Taohua went all out.

When the peach blossom pastries came out of the oven, their aroma wafted from Grandma Huang's courtyard and spread throughout the entire Huang family home.

All the guests who came to celebrate Old Madam Huang's birthday would sniff the air.

The maids and servants who stayed in Old Mrs. Huang's courtyard couldn't bear the aroma any longer and rushed to the entrance of the small kitchen, peeking inside.

What kind of pastries did Widow Tong make? They smell so good!
"Widow Tong's cooking is amazing! This flavor is making my mouth water."

"This pastry smells even better than the peach blossom dessert."

The two maids started discussing it.

The Huang family has always been generous to their servants. These old women and maids receive a decent monthly allowance and often go to town to buy fresh food.

These days, peach blossom desserts have become a newly popular pastry in Yanguan Town. Naturally, they have also bought some to try, and everyone who has tried them has praised them.

"You don't know yet, do you? Peach Blossom Desserts belong to this Widow Tong," said one of the old women who knew Tong Huaqiong's background.

Upon hearing this, everyone was even more eager to try the pastries made by Tong Huaqiong.

The pastries sold at the peach blossom dessert stall are not all that delicious even if they are not freshly baked, let alone the freshly baked ones.

Tong Huaqiong was making lotus flower pastries when she looked up and saw a group of people gathered around the small kitchen, all smiling at her.

"Oh, Miss Tong, do you need any help?"

Tong Huaqiong recognized the speaker as one of the three mothers who had stayed behind to help when she went into the small kitchen.

Before Tong Huaqiong could even respond, the other maids and mothers-in-law all spoke up.

"Sister Tong, I can also make puff pastry."

"Aunt Tong, I know how to start a fire."

"Peach Blossom Girl, you rest, let me help you."

The intense atmosphere almost overwhelmed Tong Huaqiong.

She has to refuse this offer, otherwise how will she cheat her way into getting the cake in the virtual space?

Actually, these maids and servants didn't really want to help; they just wanted to eat freshly baked pastries.

She had already considered this, so while baking the peach blossom pastries, she also baked a batch of large butter cookies.

It's ready now.

Tong Huaqiong smiled and deftly carried the large butter cookies out to her mother, who was crowding at the front to help, saying, "Sister, these cookies are for you. You don't need to help; the peach blossoms are enough. To be frank, I've never worked with any of you before, so I don't know how to coordinate. It wouldn't be good if we delayed the old lady's birthday cakes."

Tong Huaqiong's meaning was clear: since they weren't familiar with each other, if she helped but ended up making things worse, no one would benefit.

The maids and nannies in Old Madam Huang's courtyard were all shrewd and understood what she meant as soon as they heard her words.

Today is the old lady's big day, so we can't afford to make any mistakes.

So the mother who was at the front of the line took the large butter biscuit and said with a smile, "Sister Tong, then we won't cause any more trouble."

After saying that, he grabbed a handful of biscuits and stuffed them into his pocket, which displeased the other maids and nannies.

A maid, taking advantage of her height, reached out and snatched the entire plate of butter cookies. This stirred up a hornet's nest, and all the maids and servants followed her, demanding butter cookies as well.

Tong Huaqiong breathed a sigh of relief. That maid did a good job; she finally lured the person away from the kitchen doorway.

Otherwise, these people gathering at the entrance of the small kitchen would really affect her work.

"Mother, the oil is hot." Gu Taohua stood up, looked at the oil pot, and told Tong Huaqiong that they could fry peach blossom pastries.

Tong Huaqiong placed the finished peach blossom pastries on a bamboo rack and carried them to the oil pan. She then pinched off a small piece of dough and threw it into the oil pan to test the temperature.

Soon, bubbles appeared around the dough and floated to the surface. Tong Huaqiong knew that the oil temperature was right for frying lotus flower pastries.

So she carefully used tongs to put the lotus-shaped pastries one by one into the oil pan.

"Add more fuel to the fire," Tong Huaqiong instructed Gu Taohua, observing the temperature of the oil.

As the fire was heated, the lotus-shaped pastries gradually floated to the surface.

Tong Huaqiong waited quietly.

Another fire was lit, and the lotus-shaped pastries gradually unfurled their petals. Once the petals were fully extended, the pastries floated one by one in the oil pan, just like real lotus flowers blooming in a pond.

"It's done. Don't add more fire," Tong Huaqiong said to Gu Taohua.

Gu Taohua put down the firewood in her hand.

Tong Huaqiong used a strainer to scoop the lotus-shaped pastries out of the oil and placed them in a colander to drain the oil.

Gu Taohua stood up. After tending the fire for half a day, Gu Taohua's fair and delicate face was covered in sweat. Man'er jumped off the chair, soaked the handkerchief that Lu Zhaozhao had given her in the basin of water, wrung it out, and handed it to Gu Taohua.

Gu Taohua took the handkerchief, wiped her face, and asked Tong Huaqiong, "Is there anything else I need to do?"

Tong Huaqiong said, "Let's bake a few more plates of pastries, and then we just wait for instructions from the front to bring out the longevity peaches and the like."

So the mother and daughter worked together to bake the pastries, including Chinese pastries and, of course, a Swiss roll.

Finally, Tong Huaqiong used the remaining materials to make a lifelike large koi carp.

I'm exhausted after working all morning.

Tong Huaqiong asked Gu Taohua to wash her face and hands, while she began to arrange the longevity peaches. The lifelike peaches looked very festive.

Lotus flower pastries, peach blossom pastries, and plum blossom pastries bloom like real flowers on snow-white plates.

Tong Huaqiong was very satisfied with the results of her morning's work and couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. After all, she was earning a living through her cooking skills.

There was no one in the courtyard at this time. Some of the maids and servants had gone to slack off, while others had gone to the front hall to join in the birthday banquet.

Soon, Yuqin sent two old women with two boxes of food, saying that the old lady had given them to Tong Huaqiong and her two grandchildren, and instructed them to be on their feet, as someone would be sent to them to deliver birthday cakes after the birthday banquet began.

After all, we are people who came from an era of equality for all, so the word "reward" sounds quite jarring.

Tong Huaqiong couldn't help but sigh, both of them were widows, but their life circumstances were different. Old Mrs. Huang was holding a grand birthday banquet, while she, Tong Huaqiong, was just a worker at the banquet.

The contrast is stark, like that between Granny Liu and Grandmother Jia.

Fortunately, she didn't need to go deep into the Grand View Garden to engage in social flattery like Granny Liu.

Thinking this way, Tong Huaqiong didn't stand on ceremony and opened the food box.

And I must say, Grandma Huang was indeed very generous; her box was overflowing with roast chicken, braised goose, beef, and mutton.
They probably knew that these poor farmers didn't do anything frivolous, and that they lacked meat, so they "rewarded" them with hearty, meaty dishes.

Tong Huaqiong didn't stand on ceremony and invited Gu Taohua and Man'er to sit at the entrance of the small kitchen, where they could eat meat and enjoy the breeze.

"Mom, when will our family be able to eat meat every day like the Huang family?" Gu Taohua said, her mouth greasy from gnawing on a chicken leg.

"It'll be ready soon, Peach Blossom, you should aim higher. Eating meat every meal is nothing," Tong Huaqiong said.

Gu Taohua said, "Not only do we eat meat, but we also want to live in such a big house, wear silk and satin, and go to Pingchuan County to buy rouge and face powder."

She was also to marry Scholar Fan.

Of course, Gu Taohua didn't dare say this, because she was afraid that if she did, Tong Huaqiong would pick up a rolling pin and beat her.

"Broaden your horizons and stop focusing solely on the plains. Focus on the prefectural city and Shengjing," Tong Huaqiong said.

Gu Taohua's lips twitched. She felt that ever since her mother opened the door to pastries, she had become increasingly arrogant.

It's truly audacious to imagine walking from Qinghewan into the prefectural city and Shengjing!
(End of this chapter)